US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to restore the name of North America’s tallest peak to ‘Mount McKinley,’ reversing the decision made by former President Barack Obama to rename it ‘Denali.’
However, the surrounding national park will continue to be called ‘Denali National Park and Preserve,’ according to the order signed on Monday.
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Announcing the decision during his inaugural speech on Monday, Trump stated, “We will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.”
The executive order was championed by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who played a key role in the effort to make the name change official.
“This order honours President McKinley for giving his life for our great nation and dutifully recognises his historic legacy of protecting America’s interests and generating enormous wealth for all Americans. Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall reinstate the name ‘Mount McKinley’,” the order read.
“The Secretary shall subsequently update the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to reflect the renaming and reinstatement of Mount McKinley,” the order added.
The 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, never visited Alaska or had any direct connection to the mountain, which was named in his honour in 1917.
In 2015, Obama officially renamed the mountain to ‘Denali,’ which is the name used by Alaska Natives for centuries and translates to “the High One” in the Koyukon Athabaskan language.
The mountain, towering more than 20,000 feet, holds cultural and historical significance for the Indigenous people of Alaska.
The decision to revert the name has sparked controversy, particularly among environmental and cultural groups. Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club’s land protection program, criticised the move, saying it disregards Alaska Natives’ long-standing traditions and the preferences of many Alaskans.
“The Koyukon people have known this mountain as ‘Denali’ for centuries, and even the state’s elected officials oppose this attempt to rename it. It’s clear that Donald Trump is more interested in culture war stunts than addressing the concerns of the American people,” Manuel said.
In a separate announcement from his inauguration stage, Trump also revealed plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
“The Gulf will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy, and in recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our nation’s economy and its people, I am directing that it officially be renamed the Gulf of America,” Trump’s executive order declared.
Both decisions have drawn widespread criticism and are expected to fuel debates about cultural identity, historical legacy, and environmental policy in the coming months.
